EPICENTRAL
Our Mission
Despite advances in diagnosis and management, many patients with respiratory disease still experience sub-optimal disease control.1,2 In a quest for elevated patient care, understanding the central role of the epithelium as an immune-functioning organ in both upper and lower airway disease is critical.3-5
Much of respiratory disease pathogenesis can be understood by exploring the Type-2 and beyond Type-2 inflammatory cascades that start at the epithelium.3,4,6,7 Increased understanding of the epithelium should therefore inform scientific exchange, exploring ways to improve disease stability and achieve remission.8-10
Earlier and more regular monitoring is crucial to manage the dynamic and complex nature of epithelial-driven disease and better patient outcomes.7,11,12
EpiCentral has been co-created with international experts to provide educational content, tools, and resources to further scientific exchange and enhance clinical practice in the ‘epithelial era’.
1. Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). Global strategy for asthma management and prevention. 2021. Available from: https://ginasthma.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GINA-Main-Report-2021-V2-WMS.pdf (Accessed May 2023), 2. Wang E, et al. Chest. 2020;157:790–804, 3. Bartemes KR, et al. Clin Immunol. 2012;143:222–235, 4. Gauvreau GM, et al. Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2020;24:777–792, 5. Fokkens W, et al. Clin N Am. 2023;56:1–10, 6. Cohen L, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2007;176:138–145, 7. Chapman DG, et al. Clin Exp Allergy. 2015;45:706–719, 8. Menzies-Gow A, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2020;145:757–65, 9. Thomas D, et al. Eur Respir J. 2022;60:2102583, 10. Lommatzsch M, et al. Lancet. 2022;399(10335):1664–1668, 11. Busse WW. Allergol Int. 2019;68:158–166, 12. Tran TN, et al. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2016;116:37–42.
Meet our epicreators
Meet the international team of experts who have co-created EpiCentral content and educational resources.
“EpiCentral is an incredible new initiative, and it refocuses our attention on the epithelium”
Professor Louis-Philippe Boulet, MD, FRCPC
Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Laval University
“In the last three decades, I’ve been involved in research in asthma and respiratory allergy, as well as in education and knowledge translation in respiratory health.”
Professor Gianni Marone, MD
Professor of Medicine, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II
“Our team is working in the Center for Basic and Clinical Immunology Research of the University of Naples Federico II and focuses on inflammatory mediators in allergic diseases.”
Professor Celeste Porsbjerg, MD, PhD
Professor of Severe Asthma, Bispebjerg Hospital
“I am an expert in severe asthma, and I have a longstanding interest in the airway epithelium.”
Professor Christopher Brightling, PhD, FMedSci
Clinical Professor of Respiratory Medicine, University of Leicester and Glenfield Hospital
“My particular area of interest is airway diseases, in particular severe asthma, and trying to understand what are the underlying mechanisms.”
Professor Bruce Levy, MD
Division Chief, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
“I have a longstanding interest in exploring the fascinating biology of the airway epithelium and its role in health and disease.”
Assistant Professor Marco Caminati, MD
Assistant Professor in Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Verona
“My research interests focus on immunological and allergic diseases, in particular severe asthma and rare dysimmune conditions with hyper-eosinophilia.”
Professor Pascal Chanez, MD, PhD
Professor in the Department of Respiratory Diseases, University of Aix-Marseille
“My particular interest is in the bronchial epithelium and its relation to allergy and environment in chronic severe bronchial diseases.”
Dr Simon Couillard, MD-MSc
Assistant Professor in Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke
“EpiCentral is an important platform to tackle our rapidly evolving knowledge of the airway epithelium as the epicentre of asthma.”
Associate Professor Delbert (Del) Dorscheid, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, University of British Columbia
“I am currently investigating how repeated cycles of injury and repair of the airway epithelium contribute to the development of asthma.”
Professor Teal S. Hallstrand, MD, MPH
Professor of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington
“My particular interests are the management of difficult-to-control asthma and the pathogenesis of airway hyperresponsiveness including exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.”
Professor Enrico Heffler, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Humanitas University
“My main clinical interests focus on inflammatory airway diseases, immunological mechanisms of allergic diseases, asthma, rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, anaphylaxis and food allergy.”
Dr Tanya M. Laidlaw, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
“My primary research focus is on the causative mechanisms of AERD, severe asthma and nasal polyposis.”
Professor Ian Pavord, MA, DM, FRCP, FERS, FMedSci
Professor of Respiratory Medicine, University of Oxford
“My research focuses on identifying and validating biomarkers of eosinophilic, Type-2 airway inflammation in asthma and COPD.”
Associate Professor Gilda Varricchi, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, University of Naples Federico II
“My research area of interest is on the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma and allergic diseases, including the roles of eosinophils, basophils, mast cells, macrophages and specific cytokines in allergic disorders.”
Professor Dr Klaus Rabe, MD, PhD, FERS
Professor of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Kiel and Director of the Department of Pneumology, LungenClinic Grosshansdorf
“My research encompasses several fields of respiratory medicine, including asthma, COPD and lung cancer, with the aim to investigate the mechanisms of airway inflammation, early determinants of lung health and the pathophysiological links between respiratory and cardiovascular disease.”
Dr Anju Peters, MD
Professor of Medicine and Associate Chief of Clinical Research and Practice Innovation, Northwestern University
“My primary research focus is in chronic rhinosinusitis and comorbid conditions. I have published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles in this field.”
Professor MeiLan Han, MD, MS
Professor of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan Health System and Director of the Michigan Airways Program
“My research interests are related to large clinical trials in COPD, defining disease phenotypes, new screening methods and treatment interventions, as well as the impact of smoking and smoke exposure on lung health.”
Professor Claire Hopkins, BM BCh, FRCS(ORLHNS)
Consultant ENT Surgeon and Professor of Rhinology at King’s College
“My research focuses on improving outcomes of medical and surgical treatments for nasal conditions.”
Scientific and resource library
Visit the Scientific and Resource Library to access educational toolkits and download useful supporting resources on epithelial science and its implications for patient management and care.
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Discover more about the inflammatory pathways that contribute to upper and lower airway diseases.
Learn more about the role of the epithelium in different phenotypes of chronic rhinosinusitis.
The role of epithelial cytokines in the atopic march
Discover the manifestation of atopy, its underlying mechanisms, and the epithelial cytokines involved.
Oral corticosteroid stewardship
Find out more about oral corticosteroid stewardship, the tools to support this, and how they can be used in patients with asthma.
Severe asthma in the emergency department
Discover how to reduce the burden of asthma in the emergency department, the guidelines for managing asthma and practical solutions.
ReferID: An overview
Explore the impact of Refer ID in identifying patients with controlled or severe asthma who may benefit from specialist review.
Bronchial and nasal epithelium: are they the same?
Find out more about the similarities and differences between bronchial and nasal epithelium.
Discover more about the role of the epithelium as a critical immune-functioning organ.
Explore the role of the epithelium from pathogenesis to the clinic and the use of biomarkers.